Dr. Mary Claire Haver

She's board certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine and fellowships.

And I mean, she's like one of the most highly regarded clinicians on the planet when it comes to women's health, sports medicine, orthopedic injuries, et cetera, and frozen shoulder and how to keep your bones strong.

Why do some women develop high blood pressure, bloating, or weight gain on HRT?

Great question.

So hypertension is usually more related to oral estradiol than transdermal.

So if you're on oral and you've developed high blood pressure, you would want to ask to be switched to a non-oral form to see if your hypertension resolves.

Your gut microbiome changes when you go through menopause.

Your inflammation levels increase when you go through menopause.

Fortunately, the weight gain on HRT, testosterone is an anabolic steroid.

So anything anabolic can make you gain weight.

So are your bones growing?

Are your muscles growing?

That's weight gain.

That's weight gain.

Are you bloated because you have tons of gas, air, liquid?

I mean, in your gut, that could make you look distended and very, very unhappy.

When you're first starting on hormone therapy, your gut, especially if you're doing oral, your gut is going to have to adjust.

And that may cause some bloating, some discomfort, but it's usually self-limited and goes away over time.

Does sleep apnea, insulin resistance, or inflammation play a role in menopause?

Abso-fucking-lutely yes.